1935 Blue Bird LSR race car

**rockpaperscissor** · #1 02-17-2014, 02:05 PM

Here we have Airdave's most recent addition to his Kool Wheelz Collection of 1/60 scale Rods 'n Racers. The Campbell-Railton Blue Bird was piloted by Sir Malcolm Campbell, and set a new land speed record of 276.82 MPH at Daytona Beach, Fla on March 7, 1935. Shortly thereafter he broke his own record with an average speed of 301.129 MPH at Bonneville Salt Flats, Ca on Sept 3, 1935. The car was powered by a 2500 HP, 12 cylinder supercharged Rolls Royce engine, and was 27 feet long.

There are no build problems to report. The fit of all the parts was spot on. I mounted the completed model on a paper base skinned with grey, driftwood looking woodgrain. Topside there is a textured sand surface that is colored to match the beach on the panoramic backdrop. I found a period photo of the Blue Bird online and in it there was an easel with a sign that read "North End of Measured Mile", so I added a similar sign and easel to my base.

Now that the Blue Bird is done, I'll take the time to learn how to take improved pictures with a better camera. I know I've been promising that for several years now, but I've run out of excuses.

**asaf** · #2 02-17-2014, 02:45 PM

beautiful build and presentation

**Don Boose** · #3 02-17-2014, 06:16 PM

Beautiful model and diorama, Don.

By coincidence, yesterday, the New York Times ran a story that included Campbell's 1927 Sunbeam Bluebird: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/16/au...gain.html?_r=0

Don (too)

**chaparral2d** · #4 02-17-2014, 06:52 PM

Great presentation of a classic racer.

Dave

**airdave** · #5 02-17-2014, 09:14 PM

absolutely beautiful! I am honored.
you've done a fine build!

**DWest** · #6 02-17-2014, 09:26 PM

Great work! It looks awesome.

**rockpaperscissor** · #7 02-18-2014, 06:01 AM

Thanks fellas. I really enoyed this build, and have been waiting for a LSR car, so I jumped on it as soon as Dave released it. There are many other equally Kool LSR racers out there, so perhaps we might see more of these Kool cars modelled in paper. As Kevin Bacon's character famously said in "Animal House" - "Thank you sir, may I have another"?

**rockpaperscissor** · #8 02-18-2014, 06:13 AM

P.S. Thanks for the link to that article, Don. I just read it. Very interesting. Sir Malcolm almost bought the farm on Daytona Beach, too. After the second measured mile run, his port side front tire was totally shredded, held together by a bit of cording. It's very evident in the few Youtube videos of the LSR attempt. If it came apart at 270+ MPH, it would have been catastrophic, and someone other than Sir Malcolm Campbell would have been the first to top 300 MPH.

P.P.S. There was a typo in the initial post. The 300 MPH barrier fell to Campbell on Sept 3, 1937, not 1935.

**airdave** · #9 02-18-2014, 07:33 AM

No... 301.13 mph in 1935
Land Speed Records
1935 Bonneville
I believe Sir Malcolm ended his Land Speed efforts in that year
and focused on Water from then on.

**rockpaperscissor** · #10 02-18-2014, 08:05 AM

Stupid wikipedia Land speed record - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia